Image processing method and apparatus and information storage medium storing image information

ABSTRACT

An image processing method and apparatus for automatically rotating an image and a display unit, and an information storage medium storing image information. The apparatus including a photographing unit which generates image data and a rotation sensing unit which generates rotational information of a rotation state of the photographing unit. When an object is photographed, the rotation information of the image is obtained and stored together, and when the image is displayed, the rotation is analyzed and the image and display unit are automatically rotated. When an image including moving picture information is watched, an image always optimized to be horizontal without additional work by a user can be seen.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No.10-2005-0081336, filed on Sep. 1, 2005, in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in itsentirety by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to image processing, and moreparticularly, to an image processing method and apparatus for generatingand displaying image information, and an information storage mediumstoring image information.

2. Description of the Related Art

After an image of a still or moving object is taken using a digitalcamera or a digital camcorder and the image is displayed on a screen, auser may notice that the acquired image is tilted. This is because thedigital camera or camcorder was in a tilted position when acquiring theimage and because a conventional display apparatus displays an image ina fixed position regardless of the orientation (i.e. degree of tilt, ordegree of rotation) of the camera. In particular, when moving picturesare taken using a camcorder, it is almost impossible to keep thecamcorder in a constant horizontal position, and therefore, the takenpictures always include unwanted rotated image data.

In the case of an analog camera, the printed photos can be easilyrotated for viewing. However, in the case of a digital camera or digitalcamcorder, the images are viewed mainly through a display apparatus,such as a computer monitor, and it is not easy to rotate the displayapparatus. Accordingly, the user cannot rotate and view the images inthe same manner as printed photos.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of displaying images photographed using aconventional photographing apparatus that was rotated in severalpositions. An image 101, taken when the photographing apparatus was in ahorizontal position, and images 102 and 103, taken after thephotographing apparatus was rotated by 30° and 110° counterclockwise,are displayed on a display apparatus 110 as images 121, 122, and 123,respectively. The image 121 does not cause any problem, but the images122 and 123 are unpleasant for viewing. Thus, according to theconventional method of generating and displaying image information, whenthe photographing apparatus is tilted when a photo is taken, the tiltedimage may be viewed in only a tilted state.

Another problem appears when the direction of an image is different fromthat of a display apparatus or when the direction of a photographingapparatus is different from that of a display apparatus. An example ofthe former case is when a digital camera is used to take an image inlandscape orientation is rotated by 90° and an image is taken inportrait orientation, and then the image is seen on a computer monitordisplaying the image in landscape orientation. In this case, a user mustuse an editing process to rotate the image into portrait orientation, sothat the image is displayed on a monitor in landscape orientation. Also,when an image having portrait orientation is seen on a landscapeorientation display, the image is not properly displayed. An example ofthe latter case is viewing an image taken by a digital camera that takesimages in landscape orientation on a portrait orientation displayapparatus, such as a mobile phone. This problem is similar to that ofthe former case.

In order to address this problem, a method of pivoting a displayapparatus after analyzing the direction of an image has been suggested.However, the performance of the pivot function in image directionanalysis is quite limited, and accordingly, errors are generated when,for example, an image that should be displayed in landscape orientationis determined to have portrait orientation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an image processing method and apparatusfor obtaining and storing rotation information of an image when theimage is taken, and automatically rotating the image on a display unitby analyzing the rotation information when the image is displayed, andan information storage medium storing image information.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided animage processing method of photographing an object and generating imageinformation, including: photographing the object by a photographingapparatus and generating image data; obtaining rotation information ofthe photographing apparatus when the image is taken; and storing theimage data and rotation information in a memory.

The obtaining of the rotation information may include obtaining arotation value from the gravity direction by measuring the rotationstate of the photographing apparatus, when the object is photographed,with a gravity sensor.

The storing in the memory may include adding the rotation information tothe header of the image data and storing the rotation information.

The generating of the image data may include photographing the objectand generating moving pictures of the object, and the obtaining of therotation information may include obtaining the rotation information ofthe moving pictures in a predetermined period.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is providedan image processing method of displaying image information, including:reading image data and rotation information of the image data includedin the image information; determining the rotation angle of a displayunit on which the image data is output by using the rotationinformation; rotating the display unit by the rotation angle; andoutputting the image data on the display unit.

The rotation information may include a rotation value from the gravitydirection indicating the rotation state of a photographing apparatuswhen the image is taken, and the determining of the rotation angle mayinclude determining an angle corresponding to the rotation value as therotation angle.

The determining of the rotation angle may include determining therotation angle as 0° if the absolute value of the rotation value is lessthan or equal to a predetermined value.

The image data may be moving picture data, the rotation information maybe periodic rotation information of the moving pictures, and thedetermining of the rotation angle and rotating the display unit may beperformed in a predetermined period.

According to still another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an image processing method of displaying image information,including: reading image data and rotation information of the image dataincluded in the image information; determining the direction of theimage data and a target direction in which the image data should bedisplayed by analyzing the size information and the rotation informationincluded in the image data; if the direction of the image data isdifferent from the target direction, rotating the image data in thetarget direction; if the direction of a display unit on which the imagedata is output is different from the target direction, rotating thedisplay in the target direction; and outputting the rotated image dataon the display unit.

The rotation information may include a rotation value from the gravitydirection indicating the rotation state of the photographing apparatuswhen the image is taken.

The rotating of the image data may include determining that thedirection of the image data is different from the target direction, ifthe rotation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value,and modifying the image data to image data of the target direction.

The predetermined value may be 45°.

According to yet still another aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an image processing method of photographing an object andgenerating and displaying image data, including: photographing theobject by a photographing apparatus and generating image data; obtainingrotation information of the photographing apparatus when the image istaken; determining the rotation angle of a display unit on which theimage data is output by using the rotation information; rotating thedisplay unit by the rotation angle; and outputting the image data on thedisplay unit.

The method may further include storing the image data and the rotationinformation in a memory.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an image processing apparatus including: a memory; aphotographing unit photographing an object and generating image data; arotation sensing unit generating rotation information by measuring therotation state of the photographing unit; and a control unit storingimage information including the image data and the rotation informationin the memory.

The rotation sensing unit may include a gravity sensor and obtain arotation value of the photographing unit from the gravity direction.

The photographing unit may take moving pictures of the object and therotation sensing unit may obtain periodically the rotation informationof the photographing unit when the moving pictures are taken.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an image processing apparatus displaying image informationincluding: a memory storing image information including image data androtation information of the image; a display unit; a rotation drivingunit driving the rotation of the display unit; and a control unitreading the image information from the memory, outputting the image dataon the display unit, determining the rotation angle of the display unitby using the rotation information, and commanding the rotation drivingunit to rotate the display unit.

The rotation information may include a rotation value indicating therotation state from the gravity direction of a photographing apparatuswhen the image is taken, and the control unit may determine an anglecorresponding to the rotation value as the rotation angle.

The image data may be moving picture data, the rotation information maybe periodic rotation information of the moving pictures, and the controlunit may determine periodically the rotation angle of the display unitand commands the rotation driving unit to rotate the display unit.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an image processing apparatus for generating and displayingimage information, including: a memory; a photographing unitphotographing an object and generating image data; a display unit; arotation sensing unit generating rotation information by measuring therotation state of the photographing unit when an image is taken; arotation driving unit driving rotation of the display unit; and acontrol unit storing in the memory image information, including theimage data and the rotation information, reading the image informationfrom the memory, outputting the image data on the display unit,determining the rotation angle of the display unit by using the rotationinformation and commanding the rotation driving unit to rotate thedisplay unit.

According to an additional aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an information storage medium storing image information whereinthe image information may include one or more files including imagedata; and rotation information of the image data.

The rotation information may include a rotation value indicating therotation state from the gravity direction of a photographing apparatuswhen an image is taken.

The rotation information may be stored in the header of the file.

The image data may be moving picture data, and the rotation informationmay include periodic rotation information of the moving picture data.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and aspects of the present invention willbecome more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodimentsthereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of displaying images photographed using aconventional photographing apparatus that was rotated in severalpositions;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of operations for generating image information inan image processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of operations for rotating a display unit anddisplaying image information in an image processing method according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of operations for generating and displaying imageinformation in an image processing method according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of image information displayed by rotatinga display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of operations for pivoting a display unit anddisplaying image information in an image processing method according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate examples of image information displayed bypivoting a display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the structure of an image processingapparatus for generating image information according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the structure of an image processingapparatus for displaying image information according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus forgenerating and displaying image information according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the structure of image data includingrotation information according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention will now be described more fully with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of theinvention are shown.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of operations for generating image information inan image processing method according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention. A picture of an object is taken by a photographingapparatus, such as a camera or a camcorder, to generate image data inoperation 201. Rotation information representing a tilted degree of thephotographing apparatus is obtained in operation 202. Acquisition ofrotation information can be performed by an orientation sensor, forexample, a gravity sensor. When the gravity sensor is used and an imageis taken by the photographing apparatus, the rotation state is measuredand the rotation value can be obtained from the gravitational direction.The rotation value thus obtained is stored as the rotation informationof the image in a memory together with the image data. The rotationvalue can be included in the header part of a file storing the imagedata and stored together with the image data in operation 203.

When the method is applied to an apparatus taking moving pictures, suchas a camcorder, an image of an object is taken and moving picture datais generated in operation 201. The rotation information, such as arotation value, is obtained in every frame of the moving picture or in apredetermined period in operation 202, and then the moving picture dataand rotation information are added to the header part of the movingpicture data and stored in a memory in operation 203. This acquisitionperiod for recording the rotation information may be a preset value ormay be set through an interface by a user.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of operations for rotating a display unit anddisplaying image information in an image processing method according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3,in the image processing method of displaying image information, imagedata and rotation information of the image data included in the imageinformation are first read in operation 301. In case that the rotationinformation is recorded in the header of the image data file, the headeris parsed and the rotation information is detected. By using thisrotation information, a rotation angle is determined in order todetermine to which degree a display unit should be rotated to place apart that was the top part of the object, that is, the top part in thedirection opposite to the gravitational direction when the image wastaken, on the top on the display unit in operation 302. The rotationinformation of the image data may include the rotation value from thegravitational direction indicating the rotated state of thephotographing apparatus when the image was taken, and the anglecorresponding to this rotation value is determined as the rotation anglein the operation 302. After the rotation angle is determined, thedisplay unit is rotated by the determined rotation angle in operation303 and the image data is output on the display unit in operation 304.

Meanwhile, if the rotation value is negligible, the rotation of thedisplay unit may not be needed. Accordingly, if the absolute value ofthe rotation value is equal to or less than a predetermined value, thedisplay rotation angle may be determined as 0° so that the image may bedisplayed without rotating the display unit.

When moving picture data is displayed, the rotation information includesperiodic rotation information of the moving pictures. Thus, the displayunit is rotated according to the rotation angle determined in everypredetermined time according to a specified period. This rotation periodmay be a preset value or may be set through an interface by a user.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of operations for generating and displaying imageinformation in an image processing method according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention. An image of an object is taken by aphotographing apparatus and the image data is generated in operation401. The rotation information of the photographing apparatus when theimage is taken is obtained in operation 402. Then, by using thisrotation information, a display rotation angle to place the top part ofthe object when the image was taken on the top part of the display unitis determined in operation 403. After the rotation angle is determined,the display unit is rotated by the determined angle in operation 404 andthe image data is output in operation 405.

Similarly to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the rotationstate of the photographing apparatus was measured when the image wastaken by using a gravity sensor to determine the rotation value, therotation information is obtained in operation 402, and an anglecorresponding to this rotation value can be determined as the rotationangle in operation 403. Also, the image data and rotation informationcan be stored in a memory. The rotation information may be in the headerof the image data.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example of image information displayed by rotatinga display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention. The images in the left side of FIG. 5 are an image 501 takenin a horizontal state, and images 502 and 503 taken by rotating a cameraby 30° and 110° counterclockwise. According to an exemplary embodimentof the present invention, rotation values of 0°, −30° and −110° may berecorded in the header information of these images. The result ofdisplaying these images on a display unit 510 is shown in the right sideof FIG. 5. It can be seen that when the rotation value is 0°, the imagedata 521 is displayed without rotating the display unit. When therotation value is −30°, the display unit is rotated by 30°counterclockwise and then the image data 522 is displayed, and when therotation value is −110°, the display unit is rotated by 110°counterclockwise and then the image data 523 is displayed.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of operations for pivoting a display unit anddisplaying image information in an image processing method according toan exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, thepivoting means automatically rotating a display unit by 90° according tothe orientation of an image. That is, when an image has landscapeorientation, the display unit is also pivoted in the landscapeorientation, and if an image has portrait orientation, the display unitis pivoted in the portrait orientation so that the image can bereproduced in an optimum state.

First, image data and rotation information of the image data included inimage information are read in operation 601. By analyzing the sizeinformation and rotation information included in the image data, thedirection of image data when the image was taken and a target directionin which the image should be expressed are determined in operation 602.Generally, the size of the width and length of an image is included inthe header of image data, and if the width is longer than the length, itcan be known that the original image is a landscape image taken by alandscape orientation photographing apparatus. However, if the absolutevalue of the rotation value included in the rotation information isgreater than a specified value, for example, 45°, this indicates thatthe image was taken by tilting the landscape orientation photographingapparatus close to portrait orientation, and the appropriate displayingorientation of the image data is portrait orientation. That is, thetarget direction is the length direction.

The direction of the image data is compared with the target direction inoperation 603, and if the directions are different, for example, whenthe direction of the image taken by the landscape orientationphotographing apparatus is landscape orientation and the targetdirection is portrait orientation because the image was taken byrotating the photographing apparatus by 90°, it is needed to rotate theimage in the target direction before displaying the image. In otherwords, if the rotation value is equal to or greater than a specifiedvalue, it is determined that the direction of the image data isdifferent from the target direction and the original image data ismodified to the image data of the target direction and pivoted inoperation 604.

Next, the direction of a display unit is compared with the targetdirection in operation 605. If the directions are different, forexample, when the image should be displayed in portrait orientation andthe display apparatus is a landscape orientation computer monitor, thedisplay unit is rotated in portrait orientation that is the targetdirection in operation 606.

If it is thus determined whether or not to rotate the display unit andthe rotation is performed, the image data is output to the displayapparatus in operation 607. When the image is rotated, the modifiedimage data with the changed direction is displayed.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate examples of image information displayed bypivoting a display unit according to an exemplary embodiment of thepresent invention.

The example of FIG. 7A is the result of displaying images on a landscapeorientation display unit 710. When the direction of the image data 711corresponds to landscape orientation and the rotation value is also 0°(less than a specified angle), and therefore the target direction alsocorresponds to landscape orientation, the image data 711 is displayed onthe display unit 710 that is not rotated, as shown in 720. However, whenthe direction of the image data 712 corresponds to landscape orientationand the rotation value is 90° (greater than the specified angle), it canbe seen that both the image data 712 and the display unit 710 arepivoted and then the pivoted image data 712-1 is displayed in portraitorientation on the pivoted display unit 710-1, as shown in 730.

The example of FIG. 7B is the result of displaying images on a portraitorientation display unit 750. When the direction of the image 751corresponds to landscape orientation and the rotation value is 0°, thedisplay unit 750 is pivoted in landscape orientation, and the image 751is displayed in landscape orientation on the pivoted display unit 750-1,as shown in 760. Meanwhile, when the direction of the image 752corresponds to landscape orientation and the rotation value is 90°, thetarget direction of the image corresponds to portrait and therefore, theimage 752 is rotated and then, the rotated image 752-1 is displayed asshown in 770.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the structure of an image processingapparatus for generating image information according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention. The image processing apparatusincludes a memory 803, a photographing unit 801 photographing an objectand generating image data, a rotation sensing unit 804 measuring therotation state of the photographing unit and generating rotationinformation, and a control unit 802 storing image information, includingthe image data generated in the photographing unit 801 and the rotationinformation generated in the rotation sensing unit 804, in the memory803 and controlling the apparatus.

The rotation sensing unit 804 includes a gravity sensor (not shown) andobtains the rotation value from the gravity direction by measuring therotation state of the photographing unit 801 when an image is taken. Therotation value may be stored as the rotation information in the memory803 together with the image data. Meanwhile, the photographing unit 801can be a unit for taking moving pictures of an object, and in this case,the rotation sensing unit 804 obtains the rotation information of thephotographing apparatus periodically while the moving pictures aretaken.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of the structure of an image processingapparatus for displaying image information according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention. The image processing apparatusincludes a memory 903 storing image information including image data androtation information of the image, a display unit 901 capable ofrotating, a rotation driving unit 904 driving the rotation of a displayunit, and a control unit 902 controlling the apparatus, includingreading image information from the memory 903, displaying image data onthe display unit 901, determining the rotation angle of the display unit901 by using rotation information, and command the rotation driving unit904 to rotate the display unit 901. This structure can be applied to avariety of display apparatuses and the examples include wall-mount TVs,monitors, and electronic picture frames, and portable multimedia players(PMPs), personal digital assistants (PDAs), TVs, monitors, andelectronic frames using a cradle and a support.

The rotation information can include a rotation value indicating therotation state of a photographing apparatus from the gravity directionwhen an image is taken, and in this case, the control unit 902determines the angle corresponding to the rotation value as the rotationangle, and commands the rotation driving unit 904 to rotate the displayunit 901 by the determined angle. When the image data to be displayed ismoving picture data, the rotation information may be periodic rotationinformation of the photographing apparatus while the moving pictures aretaken, and in this case, the control unit 902 determines the rotationangle of the display unit periodically and commands the rotation drivingunit 904 to rotate the display unit 901 by the determined angle.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an image processing apparatus forgenerating and displaying image information according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention. The image processing apparatusincludes a memory 1005 storing information, a photographing unit 1001photographing an object and generating image data, a display unit 1002capable of rotating and reproducing image data, a rotation sensing unit1006 measuring the rotation state of the photographing unit 1001 when animage is taken and generating rotation information, a rotation drivingunit 1003 driving the rotation of the display unit 1002, and a controlunit 1004 storing in the memory 1005 image information, including theimage data generated in the photographing unit 1001 and the rotationinformation measured in the rotation sensing unit 1006, reading imageinformation from the memory 1005, displaying image data on the displayunit 1002, determining the rotation angle of the display unit 1002 byusing rotation information and commanding the rotation driving unit 1003to rotate the display unit 1002.

The rotation sensing unit 1006 includes a gravity sensor (not shown) andcan obtain the rotation value of the photographing unit 1001 from thegravity direction when an image is taken, and in this case, the controlunit 1004 determines an angle corresponding to the rotation value as therotation angle. When the photographing unit 1001 is a unit for takingmoving pictures of an object, the rotation sensing unit 1006 obtains therotation information of the moving pictures in each specified period,and the control unit 1004 also determines the rotation angle of thedisplay unit 1002 periodically and commands the rotation driving unit1003 to rotate the display unit 1002. The period for obtaining therotation information and the rotation period of the display unit 1002may be a preset value or may be set by the user through an interface(not shown) and may not be an identical value.

FIG. 11 illustrates an example of the structure of image informationstored in an information storage medium according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention. In the information storage mediumaccording to the present invention one or more files including imagedata and rotation information a photographing apparatus when the imagewas taken are recorded. This rotation information may be a rotationvalue indicating the rotation state of the photographing apparatus fromthe gravity direction when the image was taken. Also, as shown in FIG.11, the image data can be formed with a data part 1120 and a header part1110 including the size information 1111 of the image, and the rotationinformation 1112 may be recorded as a part of this header.

When the image data stored in the information storage medium accordingto the present invention is moving picture data, the rotationinformation includes periodic rotation information of the moving picturedata and can be added to the header and recorded in the same manner asin the still images.

According to the structure of the present invention as described above,a display unit is automatically tilted as much as a photographingapparatus, such as a camera or a camcorder, was tilted when a photo ormoving pictures were taken, and then the image is reproduced such thatthe user can always view the image in a horizontal state. Also, evenwhen the direction of a photographing apparatus is different from thedirection of an image, the display unit is automatically rotated anddisplays the image such that the user can always view an optimal image.

1. An image processing method of photographing an object and generatingimage information, comprising: photographing the object by aphotographing apparatus and generating image data; obtaining rotationinformation of the photographing apparatus from a rotation sensing unit;and storing the image data and rotation information in a memory, whereinthe rotation information represents orientation of the photographingapparatus and the rotation sensing unit is configured to determine theorientation of the photographing apparatus when the object isphotographed by the photographing apparatus, wherein the storing in thememory comprises adding the rotation information to a header of theimage data.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of therotation information comprises obtaining a rotation value based on agravitational direction by measuring a rotation state of thephotographing apparatus with a gravity sensor.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the generating of the image data comprises photographing theobject and generating moving pictures, and the obtaining of the rotationinformation comprises obtaining the rotation information of the movingpictures intermittently.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the rotationinformation is obtained when the image data is generated.
 5. The methodof claim 3, the rotation information of the moving pictures is obtainedperiodically.
 6. An image processing method of displaying imageinformation comprising: reading image data and rotation information ofthe image data included in the image information; determining a rotationangle of a display unit on which the image data is output using therotation information; rotating the display unit by the rotation angle;and outputting the image data on the display unit.
 7. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the rotation information includes a rotation valuebased on the gravitational direction indicating a rotation state of aphotographing apparatus that generated the image data, and thedetermining of the rotation angle comprises determining an anglecorresponding to the rotation value as the rotation angle.
 8. The methodof claim 7, wherein the determining of the rotation angle comprisesdetermining the rotation angle as 0° if the absolute value of therotation value is less than or equal to a predetermined value.
 9. Themethod of claim 7, wherein the image data is moving picture data and thedetermining of the rotation angle and rotating the display unit areperformed intermittently.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein thedetermining the rotation angle and rotating the display unit areperformed periodically.
 11. An image processing method of displayingimage information comprising: reading image data and rotationinformation of the image data included in the image information;determining a direction of the image data and a target direction ofdisplaying the image data by analyzing size information and the rotationinformation included in the image data; rotating the image data based onthe target direction when the direction of the image data is differentfrom the target direction; rotating the display based on the targetdirection when a direction of a display unit on which the image data isoutput is different from the target direction; and outputting therotated image data on the display unit.
 12. The method of claim 11wherein the rotation information comprises a rotation value from thegravity direction indicating the rotation state of the photographingapparatus when the image is taken.
 13. The method of claim 12, whereinthe rotating of the image data comprises determining that the directionof the image data is different from the target direction when therotation value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, andmodifying the image data to image data of the target direction.
 14. Themethod of claim 13, wherein the predetermined value is 45°.
 15. An imageprocessing method of photographing an object, and generating anddisplaying image data comprising: photographing the object by aphotographing apparatus and generating image data; obtaining rotationinformation of the photographing apparatus; determining a rotation angleof a display unit on which the image data is output using the rotationinformation; rotating the display unit based on the rotation angle; andoutputting the image data on the display unit.
 16. The method of claim15, wherein the obtaining of the rotation information comprisesobtaining a rotation value based on a gravitational direction bymeasuring the rotation state of the photographing apparatus with agravity sensor, and the determining of the rotation angle comprisesdetermining an angle corresponding to the rotation value as the rotationangle.
 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the imagedata and the rotation information in a memory.
 18. The method of claim16, wherein the rotation information is obtained when the image data isgenerated.
 19. An image processing apparatus comprising: a photographingunit which photographs an object and generates image data; a rotationsensing unit which generates rotation information by measuring therotation state of the photographing unit; and a control unit whichstores image information including the image data and the rotationinformation in a memory, wherein the rotation information representsorientation of the photographing unit and the rotation sensing unit isconfigured to determine the orientation of the photographing apparatuswhen the object is photographed by the photographing unit, wherein thestoring in the memory comprises adding the rotation information to aheader of the image data.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein therotation sensing unit includes a gravity sensor and obtains a rotationvalue of the photographing unit based on the gravitational direction.21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the photographing unit takesmoving pictures of the object and the rotation sensing unit obtainsintermittently the rotation information of the photographing apparatuswhen the moving pictures are taken.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21,wherein the rotation sensing unit obtains the rotation informationperiodically.
 23. An image processing apparatus displaying imageinformation comprising: a rotation driving unit which drives a rotationof a display unit; and a control unit which reads the image informationfrom a memory, outputs the image data on the display unit, determines arotation angle of the display unit using rotation information, andcommands the rotation driving unit to rotate the display unit.
 24. Theapparatus of claim 23, wherein the rotation information includes arotation value indicating a rotation state from a gravitationaldirection of a photographing apparatus when the image is taken, and thecontrol unit determines an angle corresponding to the rotation value asthe rotation angle.
 25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the imagedata is moving picture data, the rotation information is intermittentrotation information of the moving pictures, and the control unitdetermines intermittently the rotation angle of the display unit andcommands the rotation driving unit to rotate the display unit.
 26. Animage processing apparatus which generates and displays imageinformation, comprising: a photographing unit which photographs anobject and generates image data; a rotation sensing unit which generatesrotation information by measuring the rotation state of thephotographing unit; a rotation driving unit which drives rotation of adisplay unit; and a control unit which stores in a memory imageinformation, including the image data and the rotation information,reads the image information from the memory, outputs the image data onthe display unit, determines the rotation angle of the display unit byusing the rotation information and commands the rotation driving unit torotate the display unit.
 27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein therotation sensing unit includes a gravity sensor and obtains a rotationvalue of the photographing unit from the gravity direction, and thecontrol unit determines an angle corresponding to the rotation value asthe rotation angle.
 28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein thephotographing unit takes moving pictures of the object, the rotationsensing unit obtains the rotation information of the moving picturesintermittently, and the control unit determines the rotation angle ofthe display unit intermittently and commands the rotation driving unitto rotate the display unit.
 29. An information storage medium whichstores image information wherein the image information comprises: one ormore files including image data; and rotation information of the imagedata from a rotation sensing unit of a photographing apparatus, whereinthe rotation information represents orientation of a photographingapparatus when an object corresponding to the image data is photographedby the photographing apparatus and the rotation sensing unit isconfigured to determine the orientation of the photographing apparatus,wherein the storing in the memory comprises adding the rotationinformation to a header of the image data.
 30. The information storagemedium of claim 29, wherein the rotation information includes a rotationvalue indicating a rotation state based on a gravitational direction ofa photographing apparatus when the image is taken.
 31. The informationstorage medium of claim 30, wherein the rotation information is storedin a header of the one or more files.
 32. The information storage mediumof claim 31, wherein the image data is moving picture data, and therotation information includes intermittent rotation information of themoving picture data.